MA in Cruise Hospitality Management
Course Overview
The MA in Cruise Hospitality Management is a UK Level 7 postgraduate degree running one year full-time or two years part-time. Aligned with Institute of Hospitality, UKHospitality and International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA) senior benchmarks, it prepares senior officers and managers to lead hotel operations aboard cruise ships and luxury river vessels.
By graduation you will be running hotel operations for cruise brands, coordinating multi-national crews, managing port turnaround planning, and delivering a Level 7 dissertation, capstone or sponsor project.
Key Features
- Level 7 modules aligned with Institute of Hospitality, UKHospitality and IH&RA senior benchmarks.
- Applied cases from ocean and river cruise brands and luxury expedition operators.
- Sponsor projects from UK-based cruise operators and receptive agents.
- Supervision by practising cruise hotel directors and general managers.
- Dissertation, capstone or consulting brief options.
- Three parallel modes for full-time, part-time and distance MA candidates.
What You Will Learn
- Lead hotel operations aboard a cruise vessel from arrival day.
- Coordinate multi-national crews across F&B, housekeeping and entertainment.
- Manage port turnaround, provisioning and supply logistics.
- Read cruise commercial metrics including per-diem revenue and occupancy.
- Direct sustainability and environmental compliance at sea.
- Manage safety drills, ISM and ISPS compliance at hotel-facing level.
- Present cruise strategy proposals to executive teams and owners.
- Complete a Level 7 dissertation or sponsor consulting project.
Who This Course Is For
- Cruise ship hotel officers moving into hotel director roles.
- Rooms division and F&B directors from cruise operations.
- Land-based hoteliers targeting cruise industry roles.
- International hospitality executives looking at cruise brand progression.
Career Pathways
- Cruise Hospitality Officer
- Hotel Manager (cruise industry)
- Rooms Division Manager (cruise)
- Food & Beverage Manager (cruise)
- Executive Housekeeper (cruise)
- Guest Relations Manager (cruise)
- Airline Hospitality Manager (adjacent progression)
The LSCAHM careers service links MA in Cruise Hospitality Management graduates with cruise operators, luxury river brands, expedition operators and receptive UK cruise agents.
Entry Requirements
- A UK Bachelor's degree (2:2 or above) or equivalent international qualification in a relevant discipline.
- IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
- Applicants without a Bachelor's degree but with 5+ years of senior cruise, hotel or hospitality experience are considered on portfolio.
- One academic and one professional reference.
- A 500-word research proposal or professional practice statement.
Why Study at LSCAHM
LSCAHM is a specialist division of Harold International College of London teaching in small, tutor-visible cohorts. Cruise operations are read alongside hotel, culinary and events study, matching the multi-department reality of a working cruise ship.
Central London places the Institute of Hospitality, UKHospitality and UK-based cruise operators within a short tube ride of every classroom, giving MA candidates a rich sector network for their studies.
Apply for MA in Cruise Hospitality Management
Applications for the MA in Cruise Hospitality Management open across the year. Enrol on an LSCAHM Master's programme, dissertation, capstone or sponsor project supervised by practising chefs, hoteliers, event directors and industry executives. Enrol Now
